Saturday, August 30, 2008

Be true to your school...

I just love the Beach Boys. They had a way with lyrics, didn't they?
So, Jacob finished his first week of school, not too many tears were shed. He was one excited little boy. Here's the play by play of his first day...
As always, check out the smile. He was so exciting getting in the car he didn't want to take off his backpack to put his seatbelt on.

This guy, you know? Next to the school field, by the car. You can see me, Malia and Britin in the car's reflection. Could he smile any bigger?

Britin thinks she is going to be with Jacob, little does she know. On the sidewalk, making our way down to the back door (I guess now it is considered the front door since the original front door is closed for construction).

Almost there...

We made it. He opened the door for all of us, what a gentleman!

At the door (I made him come back out for this shot, he was actually the first kid in the classroom).

Putting the backpack away FIRST. Mrs. Walker showing him the ropes.

Waiting for class reading time and instructions. I'd say front and center, but he prefers the side.

So, now to explain the tears, I have to give a little background. When Kylie started Kindergarten 2 years ago Dalen and I dropped her off. She walked ahead of us the whole way, excited to get there. She went right into the classroom and did her thing. No tears for her. I bawled like a baby. I think there might have been a few tears shed from Dalen's eyes too, but don't quote me on that (and definitely don't tell him I told you that). As we walked back out the car, wiping tears I ran into my friend, Carla, whose son was in Kylie's class. She opened the door to her van, her son jumped out and she waved to him. I stopped to talk to her for just a minute, admitting that I cried. She said, just wait, there won't be tears next time. (This was her 2nd in school.)

Fast forward to the present time, no tears, just excitement for my son to start school. He had a great experience last year in preschool and I think that really helped both of us to prepare for kindergarten this year.

He made it almost the whole week without any tears. Friday, as I was dropping him off, he made it part of the way down the sidewalk. I always stay until I see him go through the doors. He stopped before he got there. Then he turned around, tears streaming down his face. He walked back to the car, wiping his eyes and said, "I just miss you mom." How can I resist helping that cute little guy? I took him down the sidewalk and waited in the hallway with him, trying as hard as I could to make him smile while we waited. Finally his teacher showed up and I took him into the classroom, dropped off his backpack and took him to his favorite seat, in the front and to the side. There were still a few tears when I walked out, but I talked to the teacher and she was very attentive to him. I really like her. I doubt I could have had a better teacher for him.

When he got home there was excitement mixed with a little sweat. The kids are excited for every chance I let them walk home. Funny how I dreaded having to walk to and from school when I was little and now my kids think it is a treat.